Car operating panels are provided in cars that are arranged so as to be capable of moving up and down within elevator shafts. These car operating panels are provided with destination floor buttons and door opening/closing buttons, etc. When passengers who enter the car designate a destination floor by pressing a destination floor button, they sometimes press the door closing button to hasten the departure of the car. If other passengers attempt to enter the car from the landing before the door of the car closes after the door closing button has been pressed, the passengers who have already entered the car see the other passengers and press the door opening button--thus, reversing the door during the closing operation to start the opening operation.
However, the problem occurs that, when the passengers who are already in the car hurriedly press the door opening button upon seeing the other passengers attempting to enter as described above, the location of the door closing button next to the door opening button sometimes causes them to press this door closing button by mistake. The door then closes without it having been possible to reverse the door during the closing operation.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an elevator door opening/closing arrangement so that even if the closing button is pressed by mistake while the door of the car is engaged in a closing operation, this door is reversed and an opening operation is started.
In order to achieve this objective, the present invention includes a control means which outputs driving or control signals to the door opening/closing means which opens or closes the door of the car, a door open switch having a door open button (contact) and a door close switch having a door close button (contact) provided in the car for permitting transmission of a signal for opening or closing the door of the car, a first line for transmitting an open signal from the door open button to the control means, and a second line for transmitting a close signal from the door close button to the control means. The first line and the second lines communicate with a communication line. Within this communication line, a break contact (i.e.--normally closed) of a detection switch (e.g., limit switch) that operates when the car door is fully opened is provided. A make contact (i.e.--normally open) of the detection switch is provided between a connection point with the aforementioned communication line on the second line and the aforementioned control means.
As the door of the car starts to close, if the passengers that have already entered the car see that other passengers are attempting to enter the car from the landing, the entered passengers may make hurried efforts to press the door open button in an attempt to open the door of the car. In so doing, their haste sometimes causes them to press the adjacent door close button by mistake.
According to the invention, however, even if the door close button is pressed, the resulting electrical signal will be transmitted to the first line from the communication line, and the electrical signal will then be transmitted to the control means as a door open signal. As a result, an operator (motor, optional drive circuits etc.) reverses the door of the car in the middle of the closing operation to start the opening operation.